The Alba City council meeting Dec. 1 started off with a bang, as during the consent agenda city council member Tammy Kirkpatrick asked why a personal Amazon item order for City Secretary Lindy McCarty was in the same box as a city account’s order.

McCarty let the council know that personal items are not ordered on the city’s account. The council proceeded to go over the Amazon invoice for the order to ascertain what had happened. Although nothing was finalized or discussed during the nearly two and a half full minutes of complete silence that ensued, the council came out of the silence with a unanimous vote to accept the consent agenda as presented.

The council also discussed the proposed ad valorem tax freeze for residential homestead property owners of the city who are either 65 or older or disabled.

“As a member of the city that is 65 or older, I don’t think we ought to do it,” said city council member Donna Lansdowne. “We did lower the city tax rate a little bit this year, but I’m concerned overall – I know it’s a big thing with the cities…to lower the taxes, but at some point in time, that money’s going to have to be made up. Are we going to have to raise the city sales tax?”

“I don’t think we can raise the sales tax anymore,” said Kirkpatrick. It is already at the maximum allowed by state law.

The council ultimately voted not to adopt the tax freeze.

“I don’t want us to say we’re never going to do it; I think we’re maybe not at the right point right now,” said Kirkpatrick.

Despite a tense discussion regarding the topic, including some personal complaints/insinuations, the council also voted to post an opening for the position of a “part-time city secretary assistant.”

The question of posting the job essentially regarded whether to re-hire current City Secretary Lindy McCarty as a part-time employee after her retirement in April, or whether to open the position to a field of candidates, to potentially include McCarty. Who the position holder would report to, and what budget item their pay would come out of, is also being discussed.

The council voted to proceed with the purchase and installation of a business listing and welcome center sign for roughly $15,000,” according to the official motion. The Texas Dept. of Transportation has been made aware of, and preliminarily approved, the plan.

The council also voted to split their 21 citywide votes for a candidate for the Wood County Appraisal District board of directors. They split the vote between current WCAD President Sam Curry and candidate Dr. Ricky Cameron. The city cast 11 of their votes for Cameron and 10 for Curry.

The city council unanimously voted to raise utility worker Robert Ivory’s pay $2 an hour.

The agenda held an item for Alba business owner Nevin Steiner, who Assistant City Secretary Jenna Trussell said wanted the city to tell him the exact borders of his property.

However, city attorney Leigh Thompson said that Steiner would have to purchase a survey independently, as the city is not involved.